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Widow of a Kargil martyr died in Haryana’s Sonipat after a private hospital allegedly denied her treatment in absence of Aadhaar Card, prompting the Centre to launch a probe into the matter. The son of the woman, Shakuntala Devi, alleged on Friday that he brought her ailing mother to the hospital for the treatment but the hospital refused to treat her as she did not have the original copy of the Aadhaar card.Shakuntala Devi was suffering from throat cancer and was also a heart patient. “With her condition worsening, my brother-in-law Ravinder Kumar and I took her to the ex-servicemen contributory health scheme (ECHS) hospital in Sonipat and got the referral slip for Tulip Hospital on Wednesday evening,” her son Pawan Kumar Balyan said. “I brought my mother in a serious condition to the hospital. They asked me to get the Aadhaar card, but I didn’t have it then so I showed them a copy in my phone. I said that I will get Aadhaar in an hour or so, meanwhile begin with the treatment but the hospital refused to do so,” he said.However, Tulip Hospital in Sonipat denied the allegation levelled by the victim’s son saying that the Aadhaar card was mandatory only for documentation process and not for treatment.”We never denied them treatment. Please note that he never got the patient to the hospital. We have never stopped any treatment due to Aadhaar card ever,” said a doctor at the hospital.She was the wife of Havaldar Laxman Dass who was posted with the 8th Jat Regiment in Muskoh valley near Kargil and died of bullet injuries during a gun battle with intruders on June 9, 1999, according to a Times of India report. Meanwhile, Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Ashwini Kumar Choubey on Saturday said that a probe would be conducted by the ministry into the death.He added that all states were asked to implement the ‘Clinical Establishments Act’ to avoid such incidents in future.”The state government should take this matter seriously. Our ministry will conduct a probe into it. The Centre has also asked all states to implement ‘Clinical Establishments Act’ which will help us reduce such incidents,” Choubey said. Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar also promised to punish the guilty. “I have received information about it. We will conduct an inquiry and punish those found guilty,” he told reporters on Saturday. (With ANI inputs)

There is a decrease in indicators of malnutrition among children, Minister of State for Women and Child Development Virendra Kumar told Rajya Sabha on Thursday while answering a question pertaining to malnutrition in India.“As per the report of the National Family Health Survey (NFHS)–4 in 2015-16, 35.7 per cent children under five years of age are underweight and 38.4 per cent are stunted, indicating a reduction from the previous NFHS–3 conducted in 2005-06, which reported 42.5 per cent children under five years of age as underweight and 48 per cent stunted,” Kumar said.Further, 22.9 per cent women (15-49 years of age) have chronic energy deficiency (BMI less than 18.5) — a decline from the previous NFHS-3 levels which reported 35.5 per cent women having chronic energy deficiency.The important determinants of malnutrition include inadequate food, frequent infections, poverty, low access to health, education, and so on.The approach to tackle the problem is multipronged. While the measures related to women and children are being undertaken by the Health Department through the network of Community Health Centres, Primary Health Centres and referral hospitals like AIIMS, the action related to bringing about improvement in the nutritional status is being undertaken by the ministry in the form of various schemes like Anganwadi Services, Scheme for Adolescent Girls and Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojna under the Umbrella Integrated Child Development Services Scheme as direct targeted interventions to address the problem of malnutrition in the country.Recently, the Centre has announced the setting up of National Nutrition Mission (NNM) for improving the nutritional indicators of children and pregnant women and lactating mothers.

A 26-year-old woman was found killed at her home in the Chhijarsi colony here on Thursday afternoon, police said.Noida Phase 3 police station incharge Jitendra Kumar said that on Thursday afternoon police got information about the killing.A police team went there and the body was sent for post mortem, he said.”The body had injuries. It appears to be a case of murder. The deceased was identified as Shweta,” the official said.Her husband Pankaj works in a factory and the couple had a 4-year-old child, he added.Also readTwo cops suspended over security breach during PM Modi’s Noida visit “Pankaj had gone to the factory and when he called his wife in the afternoon there was no response. He then called a neighbour who went there and found her lying in pool of blood,” Kumar said.Further investigations are on and some neighbour’s involvement was suspected, he added.

Expressing concern over China making a foray into India’s neighbourhood, a Lok Sabha member on Thursday stressed the need to reorient the policy towards its neighbours.”I think our neighbourhood policy needs to be reoriented,” Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury (INC) said during the Zero Hour.China has been making a foray into the periphery of India, much to the concern of the country specially in view of the strategic perspective, Chowdhury said.”Not only that, our another neighbouring country Nepal and their anti-India rhetoric is getting pronounced,” he said, calling for a relook of the existing policy.Rabindra Kumar Jena (BJD) said there were about 1.3 lakh post offices in the country which employ 2.7 lakh gramin dak sevaks. They account for almost 90% of the Indian postal work and generate close to 70% of the revenue.Also readTriple talaq bill passed in Lok Sabha; support Bill, but needs strengthing, says CongressBut the gramin dak sevaks are paid the least, have zero job security and do not have any social security scheme.He urged the government to implement 2.5% hike in the salary of gramin dak sevaks and ensure that they are paid the minimum wages.Also readLok Sabha passes Bill to protect unauthorised coloniesM K Raghavan (INC) urged the govenrnment to include Calicut in the smart city scheme, while Kaushalendra Kumar (Janata Dal-United)) made a plea for setting up Ayush University at Rajgir in Bihar.

The multi-layered security, set up specially for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Noida visit, was seriously breached on Monday when when his cavalcade suddenly left the “sanitised” route and took a wrong turn, before being stuck in traffic. The Gautam Budh Nagar police have now suspended a sub-inspector and a constable, for negligence in duty. The PM had come to inaugurate a section of the Magenta Line of Metro.Reportedly, Modi’s security was compromised when his convoy lost its way while heading to the helipad from a public meeting at the Amity University. A departmental inquiry against two other circle officers has also been ordered by the Uttar Pradesh Police. CM Yogi also slammed the senior police officers for this mishap.According to the police, the two cops have been identified as sub-inspector Dilip Singh, posted at Dankaur police station, and constable Dayanand. The convoy in which Modi was travelling, along with the UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath, lost its way on the Noida-Greater Noida Expressway, while going to helipad at the Botanical Garden from the Amity University.The other two circle officers against whom a departmental inquiry has been ordered have been identified as Sanjeev Deshwaal and Ram Karan Singh of Meerut.”The troop of VIP vehicles left the Amity University at 2.35 pm and used the service road at the Expressway to proceed towards Botanical Garden, from where the PM was supposed to board his plane. One of the security vehicles that was directing the troop took a turn before the designated one. There was no security arrangement on that path,” said Luv Kumar Singh, Senior Superintendent Of Police, Gautam Budh Nagar.Police said this is considered a security breach and two police officers have been pulled up for the same.”The VVIP troop was caught in a traffic snarl at the Mahamaya flyover. Also, a motorcycle and a bus came very close to the fleet. After being stuck in the jam for three minutes, the convoy proceeded and the police officers rushed to the spot to clear the bottleneck,” Kumar added.On Monday, PM Modi flagged off the much-awaited Delhi Metro’s Magenta Line, connecting Noida to south Delhi. The PM boarded the Metro train at the Botanical station and deboarded at Okhla Bird Sanctuary station.CM Adityanath accompanied the PM during the maiden trip on the Magenta Line. BJP member Mahendra Nath Pandey and state governor Ram Naik also attended the inauguration ceremony.

More than a week-long impasse in the Parliament on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s insinuating remarks against his predecessor Manmohan Singh finally ended on Wednesday with Leader of the House in Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley clarifying that the PM Modi in his speeches “neither questioned nor meant to question the commitment to this nation of either Dr Manmohan Singh, or Hamid Ansari.”The breakthrough came after the BJP relented to Congress’ demand in a backdoor meeting between Jaitley and Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad. Congress, too, agreed that it would accept the clarification by Jaitley on behalf of the PM Modi.The Rajya Sabha met at 2 pm after getting adjourned twice in the pre-lunch session on the issue of minister of state for skill development Ananth Kumar Hegde’s alleged remarks against the Constitution.Azad said there was no question of party succumbing to any pressure and decided to accept the clarification from Jaitley on behalf of the PM because it did not want the impasse to continue as they wanted to pin the government on several issues.Referring to the removal of bindi, mangalsutra and changing of clothes of Kulbhushan Jadhav’s mother and wife at the behest of Pakistani authorities an insult to 1.3 billion Indians, Azad said, “As Indians we strongly protest and want to show our displeasure on the floor of the House.”As per the understanding the clarification was to happen right in the morning with the start of proceedings but the House got disrupted with other opposition parties demanding discussion on Minister of State for Skill Development, Ananth Kumar Hegde’s controversial remarks against the Constitution. Not to lose out, Congress too entered the arena demanding resignation of Hegde both as minister and MP.”If he does not believe in the Indian Constitution, he has no right to be a Member of Parliament or Minister,” Azad said.Sukhendu Sekhar Ray of TMC asked Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu to give ruling if “a person, holding the post of Minister, has right to denounce Preamble in public and can he continue as a minister in the Government?”CALMING EFFECTBreakthrough came after the BJP relented to Congress’ demand in a backdoor meeting between Jaitley and Ghulam Nabi Azad. Jaitley also clarified that PM Modi in his speeches ‘neither questioned nor meant to question Dr Singh’s commitment to nation’

Two juveniles, involved in vandalising a church in the early hours on Christmas day in Meghalaya’s West Garo Hills district, were arrested today after the people handed them over to police.The duo, hailing from Tura town, confessed to their crime and admitted that it was done under the influence of alcohol, Superintendent of Police M G R Kumar said.”We have apprehended the two involved in the incident, and they will be produced in a juvenile court as per procedures,” he said.The two juveniles broke the front glass of the Hawakhana Baptist Church in Tura town at around 2:45 am on Christmas day.The footage of the act captured on CCTV had gone viral on social media, following which a DSP was asked to inquire into the matter.

A united Opposition today disrupted proceedings in the Rajya Sabha protesting against controversial comments reportedly made by Union Minister Ananth Kumar Hegde on changing the Constitution and secularism.Congress, SP and BSP members trooped into the Well of the House shouting slogans seeking removal of Hegde and forcing Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu to adjourn the proceedings till 1200 hours.The trouble started during the laying of the official papers on the table of the House as opposition members shouted “shame, shame” when Hegde, who is Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, rose to lay the papers listed against his name.Also readCongress seeks PM Modi’s reply on Ananth Kumar Hegde’s remarksLeader of the Opposition and senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad sought a clarification from the Minister as he could leave the House soon after laying papers.True to this, Hegde sat in the House for a while listening to opposition protests against his controversial statement that the BJP would change the Constitution by excluding Secularism from the preamble. Soon thereafter, he left the House.Also readSecular remark: Ex-panchayat member announces Rs 1 crore bounty for Ananth Kumar Hegde Azad asked if a minister does not believe in the Constitution, does he has a right to remain as a minister.”Minister who has no faith in the Constitution has no right to be a minister. He has no right to be a Member of Parliament,” he said.Sukhendu Sekhar Roy (TMC) said secularism is inscribed in the preamble of the Constitution and asked if a minister is allowed to denounce the same preamble in public.Naresh Agarwal (SP) said the Constitution is the Ramayana and Gita of democracy and any minister who abuses it and its founder Baba Saheb Ambedkar should be removed.At this, Naidu interjected to ask members not to bring Babasaheb Ambedkar into the controversy.But the opposition members remained unrelenting and trooped into the well raising slogans.Naidu asked members not to raise slogans and ordered that nothing they were saying would go on record.He then allowed Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment and Republican Party of India founder Ramdas Athawale to speak.Athawale praised the Prime Minister for honouring the memory of Ambedkar with a fitting memorial and said it was Congress which had insulted Ambedkar.”Don’t create a ruckus. You are going to be defeated in general elections in 2019 and 2024,” Athawale told the opposition.Subramanian Swamy (BJP) claimed Ambedkar did not include the word secularism in the Constitution.Naidu tried to restore order but all his efforts went in vain. “How much should I tolerate. This is not acceptable. This is not done,” he said as slogan shouting continued unabated.As opposition members continued their noisy protest and demanded a discussion on the issue, Naidu said no discussion can take place without a proper notice.He then adjourned the proceedings till 1200 hours.

Four persons, who were planning to rob a senior citizen couple in Kalkaji, have been arrested by the police when they were meeting to execute their plan. One of the accused, Ram Kumar had once whitewashed the residence of the old couple and was well aware of the house. Kumar had gone to Dubai but was in debt, hence wanted to carry out the robbery.”The accused have been identified as Ram Kumar alias Sohan Kumar (31), Rohit (19), Deepak Kumar (24) and Rahul (19). They were arrested from a public park and two loaded country-made pistols with live cartridges, a button-activated knife, and a stolen two-wheeler was recovered from them,” said Chinmoy Biswal, Deputy Commissioner of Police, South-East.According to the police, an information was received on Monday that the robbers who were planning to rob a senior citizen couple in Kalkaji will meet in the park. The police reached the location and surrounded the accused and later arrested them. The Activa Scooty that was recovered was stolen from Shakarpur area.The accused persons told the police that they were currently unemployed and that is why decided to rob a house.”Ram Kumar had earlier painted the house of the senior citizen couple in 2016. In December same year, he went to Dubai for work and took a loan of around a lakh which he could not repay. He came back in July 2017,” added Biswal.Rohit, who is a local goon in the Navjeevan camp area, where Kumar also resided knew he was in debt, hence planned to rob an aged couple. Kumar told him about the house he had painted earlier and was aware of the places that they kept valuables. He was also aware that they used to keep a heavy amount of cash at their home. Later, Rohit roped in two other associates and decided to execute the plan. Deepak was earlier involved in a case of robbery in the Jaitpur area in 2015.

The Congress today attacked the BJP over Union minister Ananth Kumar Hegde’s remarks about changing the Constitution, saying they were a “direct assault” on the composite identity of the nation and the party will oppose any such attempt with all its might.Congress spokesperson Gaurav Gogoi said that the BJP and the RSS were “unmasked” by Hegde’s remarks and alleged that “abusing the oath of office and denigrating the Constitution and its values have become a distinctive feature of Modi government”. Hegde, while speaking at an event in Karnataka, had said he respects the Constitution but “it will be changed in the days to come”. Condemning Hegde’s comments, Gogoi asked if the prime minister would break his silence on Hegde’s remarks as the minister had openly spoken about changing the Constitution.Hegde’s remarks are a “direct assault” on the composite, diverse and secular identity of the nation, Gogoi said. He alleged that the BJP-RSS school of thought is ingrained in “bigotry, hate, divisiveness and prejudices, that envision a monolithic culture”. Gogoi told reporters here that Hegde’s remarks were diametrically opposite to the liberal and inclusive traditions of India and the progressive thoughts of Babasaheb Ambedkar and the makers of modern India. “The Congress strongly condemns and deprecates such regressive remarks which are against the idea and ideals of India. We shall fight this challenge in Parliament and in the court of people,” he said.Gogoi alleged that all such statements have a common link and agenda and were meant to propagate and practice sectarian ideology of the BJP and the RSS.Also readConstitution will be ‘changed in the days to come’: Union Minister Ananth Kumar Hegde He claimed that the RSS and the BJP’s sole agenda was to change and modify the basic nature and structure of the Constitution and “impose their hate filled, bigoted and prejudiced ideology” on India and its people.”Recent statements by Union ministers in the Modi government thoroughly vindicates those malicious and sinister attempts,” Gogoi alleged. “Their remarks have not only denigrated and demolished the values, principles and the soul of the Constitution but has also exposed their ‘false love’ for Babasaheb Ambedkar which they keep propagating to win votes,” he said. The Congress leader, with another spokesperson Khushboo Sundar by his side, said the Constitution rests on pillars of equality, liberty, fraternity, brotherhood and secularism. Socialistic values are the Magna Carta of India’s Constitution, he said.”Any maleficence attempt to modify this by the BJP- RSS will be fought by the Congress Party with all its might,” he said. Gogoi claimed that Hegde, like other BJP leaders, was suffering from the “foot in the mouth” disease. The Congress spokesperson also highlighted that another Union minister Hans Raj Ahir had made a statement equating senior doctors in a government hospital with Naxals. This, he said, was an outright insult to the medical profession and those who save lives. “It again goes against the spirit of the Constitution and its ideals,” Gogoi said.The Congress leader claimed that in the past as well the BJP and its leaders, including the prime minister, have “systematically insulted” professionals and communities. Gogoi also highlighted that Bachubhai Khapad was sworn-in as a minister of state in Gujarat despite having three criminal cases against him, including under the Arms Act. “Will Shri Modi take cognisance of this fact and drop him from the Gujarat Government’s Cabinet? Is it not yet again an instance, where the BJP is violating the ‘oath of office’ and denigrating Constitution?,” he asked.

A day after Kulbhushan Jadhav met his family from behind a glass partition, India in a terse reply, exposed Pakistan’s PR show.In a detailed response, Raveesh Kumar, spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs said, “Prior to the meeting, the two governments were in touch through diplomatic channels to work out its modalities and format. There were clear understandings between the two sides and the Indian side scrupulously abided by all its commitments.”“However, we note with regret that the Pakistani side conducted the meeting in a manner which violated the letter and spirit of our understandings,” he said. Also readDay after meeting Kulbhushan Jadhav in Pakistan, wife, mother meet Sushma Swaraj Exposing Islamabad’s farce, New Delhi revealed that, “the Pakistani press was allowed on multiple occasions to approach family members closely, harass and hector them and hurl false and motivated accusations about Jadhav. This was despite a clear agreement that the media would not be allowed close access.”In blatant disregard to cultural sensibilities, Pakistani officials asked Jadhav’s wife to remove her mangal sutra and bindi. “Under the pretext of security precautions, the cultural and religious sensibilities of family members were disregarded. This included removal of mangal sutra, bangles and bindi, as well as a change in attire that was not warranted by security,” the MEA statement said.Also readKulbhushan Jadhav meets wife, mother from behind glass screen; not the last meeting, says Pakistan “The mother of Jadhav was prevented from talking in their mother tongue, although this was clearly the natural medium of communication. She was repeatedly interrupted while doing so and eventually prevented from proceeding further in this regard,” Kumar added.“Deputy High Commissioner was initially separated from family members who were taken to the meeting without informing him. The meeting was started without his presence and he could join only after pressing the matter with concerned officials. Even then, he was kept behind an additional partition that did not allow him access to the meeting as agreed,” the statement said.Also readKulbhushan Jadhav meets wife, mother for 40 minutes; thanks Pak govt for ‘grand gesture’“For some inexplicable reason, despite her repeated requests, the shoes of the wife of Shri Jadhav were not returned to her after the meeting. We would caution against any mischievous intent in this regard,” Kumar said.“From the feedback we have received of the meeting, it appears that Jadhav was under considerable stress and speaking in an atmosphere of coercion. Most of his remarks were clearly tutored and designed to perpetuate the false narrative of his alleged activities in Pakistan. His appearance also raises questions of his health and well being,” MEA said.“We also regret that contrary to assurances, the overall atmosphere of the meeting was intimidating insofar as family members were concerned. Family members, however, handled the situation with great courage and fortitude. The manner in which the meeting was conducted and its aftermath was clearly an attempt to bolster a false and unsubstantiated narrative of Jadhav’s alleged activities,” the statement added.

Documenting a crime in a diary by the accused is not usual, but while probing the infamous Samachar Apartment murder of 2016, the Delhi Police stumbled upon a register with a detailed description of the killing.In its charge sheet, the police have said that hours after the murder, the accused Charu Verma had written in a register that she did not want to kill the 64-year-old Vijay Kumar, a retired government official and that her hands were trembling after the incident.A spiral register that the police found at Verma’s residence during search had written her confessions in the diary…’mera irada iss buddhe ko maarne ka nahi tha’along with other details of the murder.Verma told the police that on July 20, 2016, she had gone to take her rape video clip from the deceased. However, instead of giving her the clip, Kumar tried to sexually assault her. Irked by this attempt, she took the knife from the table and stabbed him several times.Verma also confessed that she took the LED TV along with her because according to the deceased, the video clip was saved in the TV, the police said in the chargesheet. They said that the TV and the blood-stained clothes of the accused were recovered from a drain in the Dabri area.According to the police, she had thrown the case related material in the drain at Dabri where she had reached after boarding an auto from Samachar Apartment. The police also investigated the visitor’s register at Samachar Apartment where they found that the details filled were false.Police had narrowed down to the accused by examining the CCTV footage of the cameras installed at the residential society. The call detail records of the accused were also examined before nabbing her on July 23, 2016.Meanwhile, a plea has been filed by advocate Rishi Pal Singh, counsel for the accused, for revision of the section under which she has been charged.”We have filed a revision petition for changing the section. We want the section of 302 (murder) to be changed to 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) as the incident had taken in the spur of the moment,” the advocate said.Kumar was found murdered in his flat at Samachar Apartment on July 20, 2016, with several wounds on his body. An LED TV was also found missing from his house.

The Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh today released 93 prisoners from various jails of the state on the 93rd birthday of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.”It was decided to set free 93 prisoners convicted in different cases on the 93rd birthday of the former prime minister. These prisoners have completed their tenure in jail but could not be released due to non-payment of fine imposed on them,” Principal Secretary (Home) Arvind Kumar told PTI.To ensure that they walk free, the prisons department was asked to see if the fines could be paid by NGOs, trusts and others, after verifying their credentials.The names of convicts to be set free was picked up in a random manner from a list of 135 such prisoners who are not named or were serving imprisonment in another case, the official said.Former prime minister Vajpayee had represented Lucknow in the Lok Sabha five times — 1991, 1996, 1998, 1999 and 2004.The BJP stalwart was the first and till now the only non-Congress leader who completed a full term as prime minister.He was also the first External Affairs Minister to deliver a speech in Hindi in the UN General Assembly in New York.

Ajitabh Kumar, a 29-year-old software engineer, who has been missing since Monday is still untraceable. He had listed his car on online marketplace Olx and left home at Whitefield Area in Bengaluru around 6:30 pm. According to reports, his friends suspect he might have got a call from a prospective buyer. Ajitabh Kumar, who hails from Patna, worked at British Telecom. His phone is switched off since Monday and there is no trace of Ajitabh’s vehicle. The last location of his mobile phone was Gunjur near Whitefied, before it got switched off around 7: 10 pm. According to reports, Police team is investigating all angles after securing date from online classified portals as well. Ajitabh has been living with his childhood friend Ravi after moving to Bengaluru in 2010. He had passed Indian Institute of Management (IIM) in 2018 and now wanted to sell his car.Ajitabh had bought a Maruti Ciaz car by paying Rs 12 lakh and he had quoted Rs 11.8 lakh on OLX a couple of weeks ago. He had also applied for a loan with a private bank to join IIM, The New Indian Express reported Ajitabh’s brother Arnabh as saying. Ajitabh’s friends and relatives have launched an online campaign to find him.

After the death of 33 passengers in Sawai Madhopur on Saturday morning, post-mortem of only 19 could be conducted till late Saturday evening. However, as relatives of the deceased kept approaching the cops, the post-mortem of remaining deceased was conducted and the bodies were then handed to the family members.Since Saturday, the Sawai Madhopur police handed over 33 dead bodies to the relatives. Notably, one of the men who could not be identified on Saturday was also identified. “The man was identified as Ashok Kumar Meena, a native of Pratapgarh in Alwar district. It has come to light that he had gone to Gujarat for some work and was returning back by train. He alighted at Sawai Madhopur station and caught the bus to reach his destination,” officials said.Meanwhile, a team has been formed by the district police to investigate the incident. A team of the Forensic Science lab (FSL) also visited the spot on Sunday and took observations and evidence from the spot. The FSL would try to recreate the scene to understand how the accident occurred. “It was being though that either while overtaking, the driver lost control or the tyre burst resulted in the loss of control over the vehicle. An investigation has been initiated,” officials said.

A 38-year-old man was killed after he was hit by a speeding car on Outer Ring Road near Mukundpur Chowk on Saturday evening. It was found that the errant driver was in an inebriated state at the time of the accident and even tried to flee from the spot. However, he was caught by the public and his vehicle was set afire.The deceased was identified as Sanjeev Singh, who worked as a labourer and was a resident of Jahangirpuri. According to the police, the incident took place around 9 pm on Saturday night when Singh was trying to cross the road near the chowk. Witnesses told the police that he was hit so hard that Singh was thrown meters away and he sustained critical injuries.”They said that the driver, who was later identified as Ashok Kumar, was drunk at the time of the accident. Kumar tried to flee from the spot after the mishap but was chased and nabbed by the locals, who first thrashed him and then set his car on fire. Kumar was coming from Burari and was heading towards Mukundpur when his car hit Singh. Locals called up the police and the victim was rushed to a nearby hospital but he had succumbed to the injuries by that time,” a senior police officer said.Police said that the accused appeared to be drunk and later a medical examination confirmed that he had consumed alcohol. A case of rash driving and causing death due to negligence and other relevant sections was registered against Kumar at the Jahangirpuri Police Station and he was arrested.Kumar works for a private company.”Singh’s family has been informed and the body was sent for a post-mortem examination,” police said.Police have also registered a separate case of arson against the mob for burning the car and said that efforts to identify the miscreants are being made.

In a major setback to the RJD, a special CBI court today convicted former Bihar chief minister Lalu Prasad and 15 others in a fodder scam case 21 years after it had surfaced, while acquitting six others including another former chief minister Jagannath Mishra.Special judge Shivpal Singh pronounced the verdict in a packed courtroom in the case pertaining to fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 89.27 lakh from the Deoghar Treasury between 1991 and 1994.The court convicted Lalu Prasad for offences of cheating along with criminal conspiracy under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and for criminal misconduct by public servant under the Prevention of Corruption Act (PMLA), his advocate Chittaranjan Prasad told PTI.Also readEven Mandela, Ambedkar are villains for some: Defiant Lalu Yadav after fodder scam convictionUnder the sections, he can be sentenced to a maximum jail term of seven years, the counsel said, adding he did not receive any written order from the court but was informed about it.The court will pronounce the quantum of sentence on January 3.Also readFrom Tejashwi Yadav to Ravi Shankar Prasad: Who said what after Lalu Yadav’s conviction in fodder scamSixty-nine-year-old Lalu Prasad, who heads the RJD, and other convicts were taken into custody immediately after the pronouncement of the verdict. Lalu Prasad’s son Tejaswi Yadav, who is the Leader of Opposition in the Bihar Assembly, was present in the court.Also readTimeline of fodder scam case which rocked Lalu Prasad Yadav’s political careerLalu Prasad and the other convicts in the fodder scam case were then whisked off to the Birsa Munda jail, where security has been tightened, CBI sources said.The special court acquitted 80-year-old Jagannath Mishra and five others — former Public Accounts Committee chairman Dhruv Bhagat, former Indian Revenue Service officer A C Choudhary, fodder suppliers Saraswati Chandra and Sadhana Singh and former minister Vidya Sagar Nishad.Besides Lalu Prasad, the court held guilty Jagdish Sharma and R K Rana, which were with the RJD at the time of the scam, former IAS officers Beck Julius, Phoolchand Singh and Mahesh Prasad, and ex-government officials Krishna Kumar and Subir Bhattacharya.The others are suppliers/transporters Tripurari Mohan Prasad, Sushil Kumar Sinha, Sunil Kumar Sinha, Raja Ram Joshi, Gopinath Das, Sanjay Agarwal, Jyoti Kumar Jha and Sunil Gandhi.They were convicted for offences under the IPC and the PMLA. The court had on December 13 reserved its order on the matter. Today’s conviction is the second in the scam In 1996, the Patna High Court ordered an inquiry into the fodder scam cases and a charge sheet in the Deogarh Treasury case was filed against 38 people on October 27, 1997. Eleven of them died and three turned approvers while two other accused confessed and were convicted in 2006-07, a CBI official said.Senior RJD leader Raghuvansh Prasad Singh said that the party would move the high court against the special CBI court order.Soon after the verdict, a post on Lalu Prasad’s Twitter handle read, “Powerful people and powerful classes always managed to divide society into ruling and the ruled classes.And whenever anyone from the lower hierarchy challenged this unjust order, they would be deliberately punished.” Another tweet said, “Had people like Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King, Baba Saheb Ambedkar failed in their efforts, history would have treated them as villains. They still are villains for the biased, racist and casteist minds.No one should expect any different treatment.” On September 30, 2013, Lalu Prasad, Jagannath Mishra and several others had been convicted in another case pertaining to illegal withdrawal of Rs 37.7 crore from the Chaibasa Treasury in the early 1990s.The Supreme Court had granted bail on December 13 that year to Lalu Prasad, who had been behind the bars for two months.The RJD chief had moved the apex court challenging the order of the Jharkhand High Court which had dismissed his bail plea.He faces three more fodder scam cases for illegal withdrawal of Rs 3.97 crore from the Dumka Treasury, Rs 36 crore from the Chaibasa Treasury and Rs 184 crore from the Doranda Treasury.”The legal fight will continue,” Raghuvansh Prasad Singh told reporters outside the special CBI court, reacting to the conviction of the RJD chief.He said that besides fighting it legally, the party would go to the people “fight it politically also”.Another senior RJD leader, Abdul Bari Siddiqui, a confidant of Prasad, said it is not right to comment on a judgement but the people are discussing how it is freedom for some people and jail for others in the same case.”The layman is asking why it is jail for some and freedom for others? It is baffling how the BJP and the JD(U) had predicted the verdict. This has created confusion among the people also,” he said.”The case was on excess withdrawal from the Deogarh Treasury. Laluji has been charged with connivance as he was the finance minister then — the charge is not direct. The withdrawal had been taking place since 1977. There were several chief ministers who were in charge of the finance department. So why is he being singled out?” Siddiqui asked.”Laluji going to jail is not new for the RJD. He had been sent to jail on earlier occasions and every time the RJD bounced back with double the strength. That is why we are still number one in Bihar,” he said.The party will decide its course of action after the court pronounces its order on the quantum of punishment, Sidiqqui added.

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav was on Saturday convicted in second fodder scam case by a special CBI court in Ranchi. The former Bihar Chief Minister was among 16 accused who were convicted by Special CBI court judge Shivpal Singh.The court, however, acquitted six people including another former chief minister Jagannath Mishra.The case pertains to fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 89.27 lakh from Deoghar Treasury between 1991 and 1994.A charge sheet was filed against 38 persons on October 27, 1997. Eleven of them died and three turned approvers while two other accused confessed and were convicted in 2006-07, a CBI official said.Here is how politicians reacted to Lalu’s conviction:Also readRJD cries foul over fodder scam verdict; alleges ‘conspiracy’ against Lalu PrasadLalu Prasad YadavTruth can be made to appear as a lie, as ambiguous or a half lie by concerted onslaught of bias driven propaganda. But blurred layer of bias and hatred will still be removed, come what may! In end Truth will win.Also readEven Mandela, Ambedkar are villains for some: Defiant Lalu Yadav after fodder scam convictionHad people like Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King, Baba Saheb Ambedkar failed in their efforts, history would have treated them as villains. They still are villains for the biased, racist and caste-ist minds. No one should expect any different treatment.Tejashwi Yadav, RJDAlso readTimeline of fodder scam case which rocked Lalu Prasad Yadav’s political careerWill challenge judgement in HC. We have already appealed against conviction in Chaibasa treasury case in HC. Bail procedure would take place only after HC’s opening. Nitish Kumar, BJP kept trying to malign Lalu Ji.Manoj Jha, RJDI believe in the judiciary, but in this case, the CBI was arranging prosecution. Legally admissible evidence provided by us were set aside.Kind of evidences we have, we’ll get redressal at a higher court. Politically I know this regime, they have this typical Standard Operating Procedure-Try to make a deal with your opposition, if you fail…scare them. Want to tell them-Your end has begun.Manish Tewari,CongressLalu Yadav has been fighting this legal battle since 1996. It started when BJP leaders filed PIL against him in Patna HC. He & his lawyers are capable of fighting this case. I want to ask BJP why Srijan scam is not being investigated?Neeraj Kumar, JD(U)The verdict of Ranchi CBI court in fodder scam will prove to be a milestone against Lalu ji, who has become synonym with corruption.JP Nadda,Union MinisterLalu Prasad Yadav is even now politicizing the issue instead of accepting the verdict, just to deviate he is leveling allegations of conspiracy on BJP.The alliance between Congress and Lalu Yadav’s party is an alliance of corruption,connivance and cheating the people of India, it is clear from the verdict of the court.Ravi Shankar Prasad, Union MinisterLesson of today’s conviction of Lalu Prasad is that law will catch up with you if you commit corruption.For me, it is a matter of some personal assurance that I had the privilege to argue the PIL in Patna High Court in the early 90s leading to the institution of CBI inquiry which was strongly opposed by the then state govt headed by Lalu Yadav.

The Noida Special Task Force (STF) arrested a sharpshooter in connection with triple murders of BJP worker Shiv Kumar Yadav and his two gunners last month, from the Bisrakh area of Greater Noida on Friday.According to the police, the accused has been identified as Anirudh Bharadwaj, 25, who was working as a collection agent at MCD toll in Mayur Vihar. He reportedly works for Anil Bhati, the nephew of gangster Sunder Bhati.”Bharadwaj was arrested at 12.30 am after we received a tip off. He was carrying a reward of Rs 25,000 on his head,” Deputy Superintendent of Police, STF, Raj Kumar Mishra said.Police said Anirudh, a resident of Muzaffarnagar, has been involved in criminal activities since 2011. He first came in touch with gangster Anil Bhati a year ago. Bhati’s uncle Sushil Shukla is serving a life sentence after murdering timber merchant Satish Tyagi in 2008.”Before going to jail, Shukla was an active member of the Vicky Tyagi gang in western Uttar Pradesh. He also roped in Bharadwaj, who later started working with Tyagi himself,” Mishra said.In 2011, following Tyagi’s directions, Anirudh murdered a youngster in Muzafarnagar and came out on bail after six months and 10 days. He then fled to Meerut and became friends with a criminal, Amar Singh, 28, and lived with him in a temple. Police said Amar was in touch with Bhati and introduced Anirudh to him in 2016.”Four months ago, Bhati helped Anirudh, Naresh Teotia, and Amar Singh in getting them jobs at the MCD toll plaza in Mayur Vihar. The trio worked as collection agents. Nearly 40 men work at the toll plaza,” Mishra said.He added that Teotia was arrested on December 4 in Bisrakh area during an encounter. The trio was roped in by Bhati to kill BJP worker Shiv Kumar.

A fast track court here has sentenced a woman to seven years imprisonment for helping a man and his wife in the rape of her friend 14 years ago.<!– /11440465/DNA_Mobile_Article_300x250_BTF_1 –>Judge Ashok Kumar yesterday held that Rita Kumari helped Ugar Sain and his wife in the rape of a 22-year-old girl at Titawi village in the district on June 3, 2003.Ugar Sain and his wife were convicted in 2006, the government lawyer said.Rita Kumari, a friend of the survivor, was found guilty under IPC section 210 B (criminal conspiracy). The court also imposed a fine of Rs 3,000 on her.

Members belonging to the opposition Samajwadi Party and Congress accused the BJP government of harassing farmers, who were using soil from their own land for dwelling units, in the name of checking illegal mining.The matter was raised in the state Assembly during Question Hour by SP member Parasnath Yadav, who was supported by Congress Legislature Party leader Ajay Kumar Lallu and by Leader of the Opposition Ram Govind Chowdhury.They alleged that farmers were being harassed for using soil from their own field for domestic purposes on the pretext of checking illegal mining.Also readOpposition stages walkout after UPCOCA Bill passed in Uttar Pradesh AssemblyThe police harass them and leave only after extorting money from innocent farmers, members charged.Responding to their charge, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Suresh Kumar Khanna said there was no ban on digging of earth by farmers in their own field and they can carry up to 10 trolleys of soil.”A government order is also being issued in this regard,” he said.However, dissatisfied with his reply, SP and Congress members staged a walkout, terming the government as “insensitive” towards farmers.

The Railway Protection Force (RPF) has arrested four followers of Gurmeet Ram Rahim, who had set railway coaches afire at Anand Vihar yard in New Delhi, following the godman’s conviction in August this year.The arrest was made on Tuesday in a joint raid with the Delhi Police’s Special Cell, after more than three months of intense probe, scanning of over 100 CCTV footages and questioning of more than 200 suspects.The four men have been identified as Vijay Malik, Bir Singh, Kanhaiya Lal Mittal and Harjeet Singh, all residents of Delhi. All of them have admitted that they are followers of Gurmeet Ram Rahim’s Dera Sachcha Sauda and that they had set ablaze two coaches of a train at the Anand Vihar yard to avenge the Panchkula court’s verdict against Ram Rahim.It was on August 25, 2017, that two empty coaches of a train were set ablaze by the miscreants at the Anand Vihar Railway Station. According to Divisional Security Commissioner of the RPF, Shashi Kumar, who led the operations over the past four months:”Some bottles with inflammable liquid were also found at the spot which indicated it to be the intentional handiwork of some miscreants. In this regard, a case under IPC 436 for mischief by fire or explosive substance with intent to destroy house, etc and for causing damage to public property under Railway Act was registered. The arrests were made following a tip-off on Tuesday.””The accused Vijay Malik is a businessman, who owns a banquet hall on Wazirpur Road in Delhi. Interrogations revealed that the violence and the act to set the railway coaches on fire was done at his banquet hall. Harjeet Singh is a chartered accountant by profession while Bir Singh helped another recce the station and the yard before committing the offence ahead of the verdict. They had planned that if the court convicts Ram Rahim, they would instigate violence,” the officer said.He informed that it took over four months to zero down on the accused. “Raids are underway to nab the remaining accused. A team led by Inspector Ajeet Singh, Anil Kumar, Constable Chandrashekhar and Constable Pankaj Goswami along with the Delhi Police’s team scanned over 100 CCTV cameras and questioned 200 suspects before arresting the main accused. Investigations are still in progress,” Shashi added.

Delhi Police have busted a gang of three auto lifters which used to steal two wheelers on demand from Delhi NCR area and later sell them in the rural areas of Gajrola and Amroha in UP at cheap rates. Over two dozen two wheelers were recovered from the gang. In another case, a mechanic turned auto lifter was arrested and four stolen vehicles were recovered from him.According to the police, the gang was busted by police from Amar Colony area. The gang members have been identified as Vishal (19), Bablu (32) from Delhi and their aide Ashish Kumar (28) from Amroha in UP.DCP southeast, Chinmoy Biswal said that keeping in mind the frequent incidents of vehicle thefts in the area, surveillance was stepped up, during which information was received about the movements of a notorious auto lifter Vishal in Sriniwaspuri area.”The information was further developed and following a tip off, a picket was raised near Cambridge School and one suspect riding a scooter with registration number DL 3SDL 5237 was arrested. On verification it was found that the scooter was stolen from the Kalkaji area. During interrogation Vishal disclosed details of his associates Bablu and the receiver Ashish. They disclosed that they had parked many stolen bikes in a parking area near Gagan Cinema in Nand Nagri and in adjoining areas of Harsh Vihar to dispose them off. All three of them were arrested and 28 vehicles were recovered, including four from Amroha in UP,” he said.Biswal said that the accused used to steal vehicles on demand from the receiver and accordingly targeted motorcycles and scooters parked in isolated and dark spots.In another case, a mechanic turned auto lifter Dharmender (31), a resident of Madanpur Khadar was arrested from Nehru Place. Four stolen scooters have been recovered from his possession. “The accused used to work as a computer hardware professional in Nehru Place and from past few months he was unemployed,” the DCP said.Police’s operationAccording to the police, the gang was busted by police from Amar Colony area. The gang members have been identified as Vishal (19), Bablu (32) from Delhi and their aide Ashish Kumar (28) from Amroha in UP. A picket was raised near Cambridge School and a suspect riding a scooter with registration number DL 3SDL 5237 was held

At least 15 BSF jawans were injured when a van carrying them turned turtle near Laxmipur in Koraput district on Wednesday, police said.The injured jawans were rushed to Sahid Laxman Nayak Medical College and Hospital at Koraput and four of them who received severe injury were shifted to Vishakapatam for higher treatment, they said.”All the injured jawans are out of danger but not to take any chance the four jawans were air-lifted to a hospital in Vishakapatnam,” said Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO), Laxmipur, Hemant Kumar Padhi.The incident took place about five kilometre from Laxmipur on Laxmipur-Rayagada road while the jawans were returning to their camp based at Laxmipur after completing a night operation in the area.The vehicle skidded off the road and fell into a gorge, Padhi said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today called for strengthening the BJP at its roots for a win in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls and also pitched for promoting young faces inside and outside the party.Addressing the BJP parliamentary party here, Modi pushed for promoting the new generation for a “New India”, a vision for 2022 promoted by his government. He also urged party leaders not to be affected by the opposition’s “disinformation” campaign against the BJP, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar told reporters. Booth level work, which is the root of a poll campaign, is the mother of an election victory, Kumar quoted Modi as saying.”He called for strengthening the party at its roots across the country,” Kumar said.Party sources said Modi turned emotional a few times as he recalled how the party organisation was built in Gujarat and young leaders were groomed by their seniors, including former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.With the Congress claiming a “moral victory” for scoring its highest tally and pushing the BJP’s to its lowest score in the last many elections, Modi asserted that it was a big win for his party in his home state. No party in power at the Centre had done this well in elections across the country in over three years of tenure as the BJP had done, he said, referring to its winning streak in Assembly elections.<<iframe allowfullscreen=”” frameborder=”0″ height=”315″ src=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/g7S-wj4AHL8″ width=”100%”/>Modi fondly recalled how Vajpayee congratulated him in person when the party fared well in a Lok Sabha election from Gujarat, noting that he, then a relatively new entrant to the BJP from the RSS and a general secretary in charge of the state, was not widely known in the party, sources said. Seeking the promotion of young leaders at every level in the organisation, Modi referred to his association with party president Amit Shah, who was present at today’s meeting, and spoke about how he groomed Shah, 14 years younger to the prime minister, they said.”Modi called for strengthening the party at its roots across the country. He said the work at the booth level is most important, beside people’s blessings to the party, for creating a wave in its favour,” Kumar told reporters after the meeting. Modi wanted younger generations to be connected with party work, social work and for building the nation. He noted that the “millennial generation” would be eligible to vote from 2018. In his address, Shah attacked the Congress over its claim of a moral victory in the Gujarat polls, saying it was a “laughable exercise” for the opposition party to see victory in defeat.By getting more than 49 per cent of the votes, the BJP had received its highest share in the last many elections, including in 2012, when it won 116 seats against the 99 this time.

Janata Dal (United) leader M P Veerendra Kumar on Wednesday resigned from the Rajya Sabha, saying he did not agree with his party chief and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s decision to join the NDA fold.Veerendra Kumar announced his decision to resign from the Upper House after sending a resignation letter to Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu.”Legally, I’m in Rajya Sabha as a member of Nitish Kumar’s party. I don’t agree with his stand dumping the ‘Mahagathbandhan’ and alingning with the Sangh Parivar and the BJP,” he said in a press conference here.On the recent Gujarat state elections, Veerendra Kumar said what happened in Gujarat was not a victory for Prime Minister Narendra Modi.”The Gujarat election results were not a victory for Modi but, if anything, it suggests otherwise,” he said, adding that the opposition parties must evaluate the result in the coming days.The rebellion in the JD(U) started after Nitish Kumar, the Bihar chief minister, decided to break ranks with the Rashtriya Janata Dal and the Congress in Bihar and join the NDA in July.Veerendra Kumar, a media baron from Kerala and the JD(U) state unit president, had last month announced his decision to relinquish his Rajya Sabha membership amid the political crisis gripping the party at the state-level.JD(U) leader Sharad Yadav was recently disqualified as a member of the Upper House after Naidu agreed to his party’s plea that he had “voluntarily given up” his membership by joining a rally of opposition parties in Patna in August.

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) has been supportive and has cooperated with the National Green Tribunal (NGT), outgoing Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar said on Tuesday. Justice Kumar was the chairperson of the Tribunal from December 2012, and passed landmark orders on cleaning of Ganga, Yamuna, Delhi’s air pollution, and coal mining in Meghalaya. He was appointed as a Supreme Court judge in December 2009, and he served as the Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court before that.His last day in the Tribunal witnessed a full-bench reference that was followed by a small function, attended by lawyers of the NGT Bar Association, as well as the Tribunal’s staff and law students. Justice Kumar said that NGT, as an institution, has been able to leave international impact and that it became a star on the international map.”We have been able to give inexpensive and expeditious justice. We have been able to bring the disposal rate to 182 per cent and cases are disposed off within the same year or within two years. I feel very satisfied about these contributions,” Justice Kumar said.He added that the Tribunal has been able to create environmental consciousness and awareness among the public, which he said, was the one of its biggest contributions.Justice Kumar’s retirement comes at a time when the NGT is facing a sort of a manpower crisis. Out of its sanctioned strength of 20 members, the NGT currently has just seven members, of which five are judicial members and two are expert members. The shortfall in manpower has led to reduction in hearings, impacting its healthy record of disposal of cases.According to official data, out of the 23,720 cases filed before it, 20696 cases have been successfully disposed, leaving a pendency of 3024 cases. Justice Kumar played down the vacancies and said that it is only a matter of time before they are appointed.He added that the NGT has stepped in when development was done in violation of laws in force. “Laws have been framed by the legislators, notifications are issued by the government, so all we say is please adhere to them, don’t bypass them.Wherever they are bypassed we certainly come in the picture, but wherever they are doing development in consonance with laws, we definitely let the development happen.”Outgoing ChiefJustice Swatanter Kumar was appointed as the chairperson of the National Green Tribunal in December 2012.His retired from the post on Tuesday.

Water supply was affected for three to four hours in Gorai area after the ongoing work on Metro-2A corridor damaged a pipeline on Tuesday afternoon. The rail project will provide a new transport link between Dahisar West and D N Nagar in Andheri.According to officials from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, supply was immediately stopped after they were alerted about the rupture. “There was no wastage of water due to damage in pipeline. It was repaired and water supply was restored by evening,” said S A Waghmare, assistant engineer (water supply) of R Central ward.A spokesperson from MMRDA, the Metro project implementing authority, said officials of contractor J Kumar and the BMC wasted no time visiting the damage spot. “The pipeline was repaired by 6.15 pm,” said the spokesperson.

In an unusual tale that played out in Himachal Pradesh, one of the two most prominent political faces won his seat but lost power, while the other found his name in the losers’ list but still led his party to victory.End of the ‘Singh era’For 83-year-old outgoing chief minister Virbhadra Singh, this is certainly the end of his active political life that spanned over five decades. His only consolation is that under his watchful eyes, his son Vikramaditya Singh, 28, has managed to enter the Assembly by winning the Shimla (Rural) seat.During the campaign, the six-time CM had declared that this election would be his last. His departure from Himachal politics means that now the hill state has no one with a mass appeal. His immediate future also remains uncertain as he faces a string of corruption charges, which continue to be heard at Delhi courts.In almost 60 years of public life, first as a junior minister in Rajiv Gandhi’s Cabinet and then as the chief minister of Himachal, Singh had a long rivalry with two BJP stalwarts — Shanta Kumar and Prem Kumar Dhumal. Known for his unique style of administration, where he controlled almost every department of the government, Singh would be remembered as someone who ruthlessly crushed rivals and never allowed anyone within the party to grow in stature. For instance, Anand Sharma and Vijay Singh Mankotia, though hugely popular, were never allowed to come anywhere near the CM’s chair.Even state Congress chief Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu was not allowed to have any say in the last five years. The office-bearers of the state unit were allowed to take directions only from Holy Lodge, Singh’s residence in Shimla.Singh’s biggest weapon to keep the BJP away from student politics was propping up the Left-wing Students Federation of India (SFI) in colleges and university campuses. This was necessary for him to keep the RSS-backed Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarathi Parishad (ABVP) at bay.Singh’s personality was such that when denied complete freedom in selection of candidates, he even went up to the extent of breaking the Congress legislature party, twice. Once, after the Congress’s victory in the 2012 election, he got his lot of loyal legislators under one roof at a Shimla hotel in order to prevent the Central leadership from trying to woo them in Vidya Stokes’ favour.‘Outsider’ Dhumal’s woesOn the other hand, 73-year-old Prem Kumar Dhumal, who was not the party’s initial choice, was happy when the party finally decided on his candidature. His son, flamboyant BJP MP Anurag Thakur’s controversial tenure with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), however, served to exacerbate the problems of an otherwise low-profile Dhumal.This time, Dhumal chose his younger son, Arun Kumar Dhumal, to lead his campaign. Despite being the CM face, he was called an ‘outsider’ by his opponent Rajendra Singh Rana. To make matters worse, his son Thakur brought a battery of hand-picked workers from other states, such as Punjab, Jharkhand, and Rajasthan.Locals say the presence of ‘outsiders’ in Dhumal’s campaign did not go down well with the rural voters in Sujanpur and cost Dhumal the seat.THE CM STORYDespite the party’s return to power, Dhumal had to eat humble pie. Singh and Dhumal are out of the picture; BJP and Congress will have difficulty with successors.

The Special Cell of Delhi Police has arrested three persons in possession of fake Indian currency notes (FICN) in the denomination of Rs 2,000 amounting to Rs 5.50 lakhs. Earlier, the Special cell had busted a syndicate of fake currency, that pumped the currency by throwing it across the border fences in Nepal and Bangladesh, and then pushed them through Malda in West Bengal.Most of the recovered notes are having multiple notes of a single number. The accused men revealed they had already supplied FICN worth Rs 3 cores in Delhi-NCR.The arrested accused have been identified as Zulfikar Alam (45), Deepak Kumar Mandal (36) and Uttam Mandal (40).On Sunday, the police had received information that Alam who hails from Bihar and is one of the most prominent members of the international syndicate, would be coming near New Delhi Railway Station to receive a consignment of fake currency.”The team spotted Alam in the night and after few minutes another person arrived and passed on a parcel to him after which both of them separated. The police officials then apprehended the duo and high-quality fake currency amounting to Rs 3 lakhs were recovered,” said Pramod Kumar Kushwah, DCP, Special Cell. The man who had handed over the parcel was identified as Uttam Mandal and 50 notes of fake currency amounting to Rs 1 lakh were recovered from him.”During interrogation, Uttam revealed that he works as a carrier of the currency for Deepak Kumar Mandal of Malda.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will form the new Himachal Pradesh government, but minus its chief ministerial candidate, Prem Kumar Dhumal. This bitter-sweet victory for the BJP over long-time rival in the state, Congress, has ensured that for the first time in nearly three decades, a new face will emerge in the state, despite two party stalwarts — Shanta Kumar and Dhumal — still being around.For the record, Congress’ Rajinder Singh Rana has emerged as the giant killer by defeating his one-time political guru Dhumal from the Sujanpur constituency. Another tragedy that struck Dhumal was that it was he who played a crucial role in ensuring the consolidation of the dominant Thakur community in the Hamirpur region.The state has alternately elected Congress and BJP governments since 1985.In the last election in 2012, the Congress won 36 seats and the BJP 26, while six seats went to Independent candidates. While the Congress won’t accept that the corruption charges against CM Virbhadra Singh made a big difference, BJP’s own lack of confidence in any leader’s ability robbed them of quite a few seats.Dhumal’s supporter and state BJP chief Satpal Satti also lost his Una seat to Satpal Singh Razda of Congress. His close confidantes — Ravinder Ravi, Gulab Singh, and Randhir Sharma — also failed to win their respective constituencies.Dhumal, who moved from farming to teaching English and then to politics, was expected to become the CM for the third time. The Congress plank to counter the move with the criticism of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) and demonetisation failed to make much impact on the voters, primarily because Himachal is an employee-dominated state.For all of the 68 Assembly seats, a total of 337 candidates were in the fray. Singh won his Arki seat without much of a threat and also ensured his son Vikramaditya Singh’s debut from Shimla (Rural).The prestigious Shimla (Urban) seat was once again won by BJP’s Suresh Bhardwaj, who defeated Singh-backed rebel Harish Janartha. While CPI (M) came in third, Congress’s own candidate Harbhajan Singh Bhajji stood a poor fourth. Anil Sharma, who resigned from the government and the ruling Congress and joined the BJP just before the polls, along with his father and former telecom minister Sukh Ram, retained his Mandi seat.The CPI (M) is celebrating the victory of Rakesh Singha from Theog, despite it being a Congress stronghold. It must be mentioned that Vidya Stokes has held this seat many times during her long political career.Behind the scenesThe Gudiya rape and murder case, which came to light in the run-up to the elections, remained a major factor behind the Congress’s defeat in the state. Singh’s government was defamed for its apparent effort to shied the culprits. Though the Congress managed to retain the Jubbal-Kotkhai seat with over 9,000 votes, where Rohit Thakur defeated BJP’s Narinder Bragta, the negative publicity helped the rival party gain a huge ground elsewhere in the state.Another factor that helped the BJP score big in this hilly state was the absence of any top Congress leader during the campaigning. In fact, none of the party’s top leaders camped or campaigned in the state, with even party president Rahul Gandhi paying just one visit to address a couple of election rallies.Himachal was left to Singh, despite knowing well that he was fighting with his back to the wall, following the corruption probe. Also, the last five years could well be termed as his worst-ever tenure as he had no achievements to count. His tenure saw the emergence of a few retired bureaucrats, on extension, from his erstwhile state Rampur Bushair, who ran it like a princely state.The BJP, on the other hand, left nothing to chance. Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed over half a dozen election rallies and all top leaders of the party, including BJP president Amit Shah, home minister Rajnath Singh, finance minister Arun Jaitley, and Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath, camped in the state for long periods.BJP, however, had nothing much to offer to the voters. The party counted Singh’s failures while Congress pointed at PM Narendra Modi’s three-and-a-half year of “misrule”.Finally, the anti-incumbency sentiment against the Singh government proved much stronger. The impact of demonetisation and the GST had little adverse impact in the state as compared to that in Gujarat.

Unseating Congress from power in Himachal Pradesh, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday registered an emphatic win over the ruling party in the 68-member Assembly. The latest trend showed that the BJP has won 34 seats while it was leading on 10 other seats. Its rival Congress won 19 seats and was leading in 2 other constituencies, as per the latest trends. The BJP’s win turned sour as its chief ministerial candidate Prem Kumar Dhumal and its state unit chief Satpal Singh Satti both were defeated in their respective constituencies. While Dhumal was lost the Sujanpur Assembly seat to his Congress rival Rajinder Singh Rana by about 3,500 votes, Satti was defeated in Una by Satpal Singh Raizada by over 3,000 votes.Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh and his son Vikramaditya Singh won from Arki and Shimla(Rural) respectively.Also readHimachal Elections: After PK Dhumal’s loss, Jairam Thakur summoned to Delhi; likely to be CMHere is how local and national leaders of the two parties reaction to the Himachal Pradesh Assembly election results:Narendra Modi, Prime Minister Also readHimachal Pradesh Election Results 2017 LIVE: BJP wins battle, Virbhadra Singh accepts defeatThe results in Himachal Pradesh show that if if do not work for the development and are embroiled in all wrong acts then after 5 years people will not accept you.Watch: PM Modi speaks at BJP Headquarters after party’s win in Gujarat, HimachalAmit Shah, BJP PresidentThe two-third lead in Himachal Pradesh shows that people there want to join PM Narendra Modi in the journey to development.Prem Kumar Dhumal, BJP CM candidatePersonal loss is not of much importance.The gain that victory has brought to state BJP is important. Thankful to people of the state for voting for BJP. In politics, sometimes one wins, sometimes one loses. I was not expecting to lose, I will do analyse this. Rajinder Rana, Congress (Who defeated Dhumal)It’s a symbol of people’s confidence in Congress. Thankful that they made me victorious. We have never stepped back from serving people in Sujanpur and we will always serve them.Virbhadra Singh, Chief Minister I accept the victory of BJP. I, being the CM, take full responsibility of our performance here. I hope Vikramaditya keeps winning in future, like he won today.Vikramaditya Singh, CongressI’ll always stand with government, whichever party it might be of, and serve people. As a son, I am sad we couldn’t make it possible for him (Virbhadra Singh) to become the CM 7th time. We’ll analyse our drawbacks in meeting.Dharmendra Pradhan, Union Minister We are sad about Prem Kumar Dhumal losing but we are happy that people of Himachal Pradesh voted for the BJP.(With ANI inputs)Watch: BJP President Amit Shah speaks after Gujarat, Himachal win

Police in Nepal have confirmed the arrest of six Indian robbers. According to the Kathmandu Post, the thiefs, known as the Challa Samuha gang, were arrested after crossing into Nepal on the pretext of collecting scrap.The Metropolitan Police Crime Division (MPCD) was quoted, as saying that the gang came from Samastipur, Bihar. The MPCD said that the gang members used to visit house-to-house for collecting scrap and steal anything valuable, including cash, jewellery, mobile phones and electronic devices. They have been identified as Dinesh Podar, Mukesh Kumar Podar, Ketalu Podar, Chandan Podar, Suraj Podar and Bikash Podar. Five of these thieves are below 20 years. A Nepali is identified as Raj Kumar Adhikari of Bara, who used to work in Pashupati Temple, has also been placed under arrest.

The counting of votes for 68 Assembly seats in Himachal Pradesh that went to polls on November 9 began at 8 am on Monday.The results are expected to come out by afternoon.As many as 50,25,941 voters were eligible to cast their votes and 37,605 polling personnel were deployed at 7,525 polling booths. 983 polling stations were declared vulnerable and 399 critical to ensure free and fair elections in the state.The fate of 337 candidates including Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh and his predecessor Prem Kumar Dhumal will be known. Both – the ruling Congress Party and the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) – are confident of their victory.Himachal has a tradition of change in government after every elections and going by the trend, this time it is the turn of the BJP which is upbeat after exit poll results.Security personnel have been deployed outside the counting centres to avoid any untoward situation.8:39 IST Monday, 18 December 2017Counting has begun for Himachal Pradesh. BJP is leading in 9 constituencies, Congress in 4.

Working women are devastated when their marriage crumbles and they require considerable time to garner strength, a Delhi court has said, while enhancing the maintenance for a woman who had alleged that she was getting a meager amount whereas her husband was living luxuriously.Additional sessions judge Ajay Kumar Kuhar said women should not be dependent on men for survival and courts should be slow in awarding maintenance just because a woman demanded it. Women need strength to overcome marriage woes, he said.”There is no doubt that when there are talks of gender equality, it is expected that a woman should not be dependent on a man for her survival, particularly when she has capacity to make her own living. Courts should be slow in awarding maintenance on the mere asking for it by the wife and must consider the capability and capacity of the claimant to earn her livelihood.At the same time, one has to consider the fact that many a times, even a working woman is so devastated when her marriage crumbles that it takes considerable time for her to gather the strength to beat the reality,” the court stated.Ekta Puri, who had studied filmmaking and was yet to start her career, had filed an appeal against an order passed by a Metropolitan Magistrate, whereby she was entitled to Rs 1 lakh for a year and another Rs 70,000 for accommodation after separation from her husband Vikramjit Singh Puri.Her counsel contended that her husband concealed his income and did not show records of movable and immovable assets in the court. It was also submitted that he was spending over Rs 70,000 on his entertainment and other expenses but was not ready to pay proper maintenance to his wife.The court, while deciding the case in favour of the woman, said the qualification that Ekta possesses can be utilised only in the film industry, which offers a very uncertain career and work on the principle of out of sight, out of mind. To regain her foothold in the film industry will not be an easy task for her, considering the mental state she must have been in after the broken marriage.The court further held that Vikramjit was maintaining high standards of living and had concealed his income documents. “Therefore, without going into the matter as it is only at the initial stage and a prima facie view of the facts is to be considered, I would say that the husband is maintaining a high standard of living, which a person cannot achieve and maintain with only Rs 1 lakh per month. Needless to adhere that the appellant being his wife is entitled to live the same lifestyle,” the court said in its order.The judge directed Vikramjit to pay Rs 2 lakh per month to Ekta and to pay Rs 70,000 for alternate accommodation.

Ashutosh Kumar, a class VII student at Government Co-ed Senior Secondary School in north-west Delhi’s Rohini, wants to refine athletic skills as he aspires to win an Olympic medal for the country. However, the 12-year-old is not getting the opportunity in the absence of a working sports ground in his school.For Kumar, son of an e-rickshaw driver, enrolling in a private school with a well-equipped playground is a distant dream.”I don’t have interest in studies. I want to pursue sports as a career option. Our school doesn’t have a playground where I can practice. I asked my parents to change my school but they can’t afford it,” he said.Even as the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led Delhi government talks about creating a sports university and provide specialised training to tap sports talents, as many as 100 government schools in the Capital do not even have sports grounds, reply to an RTI filed by DNA revealed.Under the Right to Education (RTE) Act, 2009, it is mandatory to have a playground on school premises. And, in the absence of space, the schools have to make adequate arrangements in a nearby park/playground.”No such effort has been taken by the school authority even as we don’t have a sports ground,” said a faculty member at Government Boys Senior Secondary School, Mangolpuri.The Delhi government recently constructed two new swimming pools – one in Mayur Vihar Phase-2 and another in west Vinod Nagar – and a world-class hockey stadium in Boys Senior Secondary School in Ghumanhera village.”What will they do in the absence of trained teachers? 50 per cent of the sanctioned posts for Physical Education Teachers are lying vacant,” said Ajay Veer Yadav, general secretary, Government School Teachers Association and a physical education teacher at a school in Karol Bagh.As per a recent data, of the 864 sanctioned posts of post-graduate teacher (PGT) Physical Education, 636 are lying vacant. Also, among graduate teachers (TGTs), supposed to teach up to class VIII, of the 2205 sanctioned posts, 901 are lying vacant.Officials at the Directorate of Education (DoE), however, cited lack of space to construct sports grounds in these schools. However, teachers said the government should focus on arranging cluster sports grounds.”The government can make cluster grounds for two-three nearby schools. But no such efforts are being taken at their end,” Yadav added.Around 100 government schools in the capital do not even have sports grounds Of 864 sanctioned posts of post-graduate teacher (PGT) Physical Education, 636 are lying vacant in government schools. Of 2205 sanctioned posts graduate teachers (TGTs), 901 are lying vacant.

Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has approved the visa applications of the mother and wife of Naval Commander Kulbhushan Jadhav, who is on a death row in that country on charges of espionage.The spokesperson for Pakistan’s foreign ministry shared the news on his Twitter handle on Saturday evening.Earlier, Pakistan’s foreign office sent a letter to the Ministry of External Affairs suggesting that Jadhav’s family can meet him on Christmas.External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj confirmed that Pakistan will grant visa to both the mother and the wife of Jadhav. On November 10, Pakistan had agreed to allow Jadhav’s wife to meet him. India has been pressing Pakistan to grant a visa to his mother Avantika as well, on humanitarian grounds.Describing it as a positive development, MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said Pakistan has also permitted an Indian diplomat to accompany Jadhav’s wife and mother during their trip. The diplomat will be present during their meeting in the jail. When queried whether allowing Indian diplomat to accompany Jadhav’s relatives in jail meant granting consular access, Kumar said it was too early to predict the nature of the access.Jadhav had filed an appeal with Pakistani Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa to seek clemency, which is still pending. In October, the Pakistan Army had said it was close to a decision on Jadhav’s mercy petition.Also readNo consular access for Kulbhushan Jadhav, Pak tells ICJAccording to Pakistan, its security forces arrested Jadhav from the restive Balochistan province on March 3, last year, after he reportedly entered the area from Iran. He was charged for espionage and sentenced to death. India, however, maintains that Jadhav was kidnapped from Iran, where he planned to start a business after retiring from the Indian Navy.After India approached ICJ, a 10-member bench on May 18 restrained Pakistan from executing Jadhav till the adjudication of the case. The ICJ had asked Pakistan to submit its response by December 13, before the court could start further proceedings. Pakistan is now expected to inform the ICJ that since it has agreed to provide consular access to the prisoner, India’s plea at the world court be declared infructuous.Also readMom, wife can meet Kulbhushan Jadhav on Dec 25: PakistanHowever, Pakistan on Wednesday rejected India’s plea for consular access to Kulbhushan Jadhav at the ICJ, claiming that New Delhi wants the access to get the information gathered by its ‘spy’.Media reports from Pakistan suggest that Pakistan in its reply has alleged Jadhav is not an ordinary person and had entered the country with the intent of spying and carrying out sabotage activities. The reply, which was submitted by the Foreign Office’s Director (India), Fariha Bugti, also claimed that Jadhav case does not fall under the purview of the Vienna Convention.Also readKulbhushan Jadhav’s friends celebrate after Pakistan grants visa to his mother and wifeThe counter-memorial said the consular access under the Vienna Convention was reserved only for legitimate visitors and not for spies.Reports said the reply also encompasses the charge-sheet filed against Jadhav, which also includes his confession.Pakistan has stated that “the Indians have not denied that Jadhav was travelling on a passport with an assumed Muslim name.””Lack of explanation on how a serving naval commander was operating under secondment to Indian spy agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) and also was travelling under an assumed name leads to only one conclusion that India wanted consular access to the information he had gathered,” said the counter memorial.

A 24-year-old woman was allegedly gangraped by her colleague and his friend at his residence in Noida’s Sector 58 area in the intervening night on Thursday.According to the police, the woman and one of the accused worked in the same office. The victim had sought financial assistance from him as she had to pay her rent following which he told her that she could collect the cash from his residence in Sector 58 area.The duo then left for his residence on his two-wheeler. Investigating officials revealed that the woman had asked for around Rs 15,000-20,000 as her landlord had called her demanding the rent amount, and she was in urgent need of the money. When they reached his residence the woman was told that his friend would also join them. The two men then allegedly forced themselves on her and took turns to rape her.The duo then fled after the incident leaving the victim stranded.”The incident occurred in the intervening night of December 14 and 15. The victim left the office along with her colleague post midnight. They then reached the residence at around 1 am following which the incident occurred. She informed the police who reached the location but the accused had fled by then. A medical examination of the victim confirmed rape. A case of gang-rape has been registered. We have dedicated teams working on leads to arrest the two accused,” said Arun Kumar, Superintendent of Police (City), Gautam Buddha Nagar.In another incident, a 24- year-old man was arrested on charges of attempting to rape an eight-year-old girl in the Barola area of Noida on Friday evening.According to the police, the accused has been identified as Sandeep, a labourer by profession. He took the girl to an isolated area, on the pretext of giving her chocolates, and then tried to rape her. When she resisted, the accused slapped her.On hearing the girl’s cry, the neighbours reached the spot and thrashed him. Later, a call was made and he was handed over to the police.SEQUENCE OF EVENTSThe victim sought financial assistance from her colleague and went to his home to get the money At the accused’s residence, the man and his friend allegedly gang-raped the woman and fled after the incident Police have registered a case of gangrape

The Gautam Buddha Nagar Police held an awareness programme on women’s safety at the Great India Place Mall on Saturday. This women’s safety week has been going on for this entire week According to a senior police official, the need of the hour is to educate boys about gender equality as young males in their early 20s are committing these crimes.“We earlier held self-defence workshop for girls in academic institutions. Now we have planned to sensitise and educate the boys in colleges and academic institutions to behave well. We will form teams and talk to them about women’s safety. We believe this will yield good results in bridging the gender equality gap,” Luv Kumar, Senior Superintendent Of Police, Gautam Buddha Nagar said.He added that the women should make a complaint and contact the helpline number 1090 immediately if they face any problem. “Women should display courage and make a complaint. Once the complaint is received, police will actively pursue the matter. Their courage will deter the accused and inspire others to raise their voices,” he said.The SSP also said that some people have pre-conceived notion that the police personnel are unfriendly, which is not true. “The city police are very sensitive towards people’s safety. We take all complaints seriously and take actions accordingly,” he said.

Noida and Greater Noida do not have their own municipal corporations. This is despite the fact that the Industrial Development Act of 1976 mandated that every city must have a municipal corporation of its own.What’s even more surprising is that the two cities, located in Gautam Budh Nagar district, may still not get their own municipal corporations, as stakeholders, at a meeting convened by the Noida Authority on Saturday, concluded that the two cities did not need them.The stakeholders comprised members of the Federation of Noida Residents Welfare Associations (FONRWA), Confederation of NCR Residents Welfare Associations (CONRWA), Noida Entrepreneurs Association (NEA), Confederation of Real Estate Developers’ Association of India (CREDAI) and various MLAs. Most of them felt that Noida, Greater Noida and Yamuna Authority authorities were working well enough to maintain the city.According to Meerut Commissioner Prabhat Kumar, most of the suggestions declined the need for a municipal corporation for GB Nagar. Instead, he said, people wanted civic bylaws to be put in place to fix the accountability of residents and the Authority towards the city.“The majority of stakeholders in GB Nagar do not want a separate municipal body,” Kumar said The Meerut Commissioner had been appointed to look into this matter when on September 4 this year, the GB Nagar district magistrate BN Singh recommended that the municipal functions be withdrawn from the purview of Noida Authority and handed over to the Uttar Pradesh government. In October, a public notice was issued, inviting all stakeholders to submit their views on the matter. Thereafter, a government committee including BN Singh, GB Nagar district magistrate; RK Mishra, additional CEO of Noida Authority; BK Tripathi, additional CEO of Greater Noida, VP Pathak, chief law adviser of Noida Authority and CP Singh, municipal commissioner of Ghaziabad, was set up under the leadership of Prabhat Kumar, commissioner of Meerut. Kumar is now the in-charge on this matterOn other issues raised in the meeting, Kumar said they also received suggestions on parking issues and the need for a railway station in GB Nagar and an IIT college in Yamuna Expressway.No corp in noidaThe Industrial Development Act of 1976 mandated that every city must have a municipal corporation of its own.At a meeting convened by the Noida Authority, stakeholders concluded that Noida and Greater Noida did not need one.

The ruling NDA today decided to take a tough stand against the Opposition in Parliament after the Congress and other parties stalled the Rajya Sabha demanding an apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his remarks against former prime minister Manmohan Singh.At a meeting of top NDA leaders here, Modi asked the ruling alliance to strongly push the government’s legislative agenda in the Winter Session of Parliament, sources said. Talking to reporters after the meeting, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar said that instead of attacking the prime minister, the Congress should apologise for the meeting held between its leaders, including Manmohan Singh, and Pakistani officials without informing the government.His remarks indicating a counter-offensive by the NDA in Parliament came after the Rajya Sabha was adjourned till Monday following the opposition’s protests over Modi’s remarks at a Gujarat election rally in which the prime minister had accused Singh of colluding with Pakistan to influence the state polls. “Rather than demanding apology from Prime Minister, they (opposition) should apologise for what they have done…. Without informing the government their leaders met Pakistani officials,” Kumar said.Also readWinter session of Parliament: Amit Shah gets royal welcome from BJP MPs on first day in Rajya Sabha NDA sources said Modi referred to India’s progress on a host of issues, including its jump in the ease of doing business ratings and reform measures like the GST, to underline his government’s “able” handling of economy. A leader, who attended the meeting, said the prime minister also pointed out the government’s legislative agenda for the Winter Session and asked them to work together for pushing it in Parliament. The Prime Minister cited various important legislations listed in the session including a bill to to grant the constitutional status to National Commission on Backward Classes (NCBC) and muslim women protection of rights on marriage bill, and asked the leaders to ensure their passage in the session.Also readWinter Session of Parliament begins, Congress seeks PM Modi’s apology over Pakistan remarkModi also asked them to ensure presence of ruling alliance members in both the Houses. Earlier speaking in the BJP’s parliamentary party executive meeting also, the prime minister stressed on maximum attendance of the MPs in both the houses, BJP MP Sharad Tripathi, who was present in the meeting, said.Modi also emphasised that people should be made aware of the rates of the consumer goods which have come down following the reduction in GST rates, Tripathi added. The prime minister also spoke about the law enacted by his government that raised the maternity leave to 26 weeks from 12 weeks. He noted that Ivanka Trump, daughter of US President Donald Trump, had praised the progressive law in her comments during her visit to India and said that even many developed countries do not have such a legislation.

Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad on Friday attacked Chief Minister Nitish Kumar over his ongoing ‘Vikas Samiksha Yatra’, saying it was a “scam” wherein crores of rupees from the public exchequer was being splurged on an image-building exercise.He claimed that for every district covered under the yatra, Rs 10 crore was spent from the public exchequer.However, the ruling Janata Dal (United) dismissed the charge as “sheer frustration” of the RJD supremo, who is facing trial in several corruption cases and convicted in one.Addressing a press conference, Prasad distributed copies of a purported order issued by an official of Jeevika, a state government project for providing employment to rural women.As per the order, “4,000 women would participate in every public meeting of the CM during ‘Vikas Samiksha Yatra’ and would be paid Rs 75 each apart from the conveyance.”This is in addition to expenditure incurred on security arrangements, allowances to officers, arrangements for public meetings etc,” Prasad, who was accompanied by senior party leader Shivanand Tiwary, claimed.”This is turning out to be Vikas Samiksha Yatra ghotala (scam). At least Rs 10 crore is being spent in every district during CM’s Samiksha yatra,” he alleged.”If the ‘yatra’ was so indispensable, the CM should have taken only security personnel along,” Prasad said, wondering why review meetings were being held in districts, away from the state capital.He also alleged that flags of the JD(U), of which Kumar is the national president, were being displayed at the public meetings funded by the state.”There should be a probe into how much money has been spent on the CM’s yatra,” Prasad said.Kumar is on a state-wide ‘Vikas Samiksha Yatra’ since December 12 to take a first-hand account and review the progress made in various districts on development schemes launched by his government over the years.Prasad also reiterated his earlier claim that Kumar’s standing in his own government has diminished and JD(U)’s junior ally, the BJP, was establishing a “firm grip on the government and administration”.JD(U) chief spokesman and MLC Sanjay Kumar Singh, however, said, “It is sheer frustration of Lalu Prasad…a person, who is convicted in a corruption case, is levelling charges against a man known for his honesty and probity”.Prasad also dismissed exit polls predicting a BJP victory in Gujarat and claimed that the Congress would form government in the state and “all the exit polls will prove to be wrong like they did in Bihar in 2015”.On Sonia Gandhi’s “retirement”, he said, “She may not hold a post but will continue to give her guidance.” The RJD chief also added that Rahul Gandhi’s elevation as the Congress president will “strengthen the Grand Alliance”.He also opined against the draft law banning instant triple talaq with provision of of three years imprisonment for violations, saying “the Centre is behaving like an autocrat, taking steps as per whims and fancies”.

The juvenile accused in Pradyuman murder case was denied bail by Juvenile Justice Board on Friday.According to reports, the board took cognisance of the psychological report of the accused. The report emphasised that the juvenile was well aware of the consequences of the crime.The Class XI student, who is accused of murdering seven-year-old Pradyuman, was produced before the JJB again on Wednesday and remanded to another 14 days in judicial custody.He will be lodged in an observation home in Faridabad during this period and produced before the JJB on December 20.The cold-blooded murder case of Pradyuman took a new dimension after the CBI trashed the probe by the Gurugram police and gave a clean chit to bus conductor Ashok Kumar, who was arrested with the charges of murder and sexual assault in connection with the case, and arrested the juvenile.Pradyuman was found in a pool of blood with his throat slit inside Ryan International School in Gurugram.

The proceedings of the Lok Sabha on the first day of the Winter Session were adjourned today after the House paid tributes to three sitting and seven former members who died during the inter-session period.Rajya Sabha also adjourned for the day as uproar by Cong members continued. Opposition leaders protested the rejection of their notice in the Rajya Sabha demanding an explanation and apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his “conspiracy with Pakistan” remark involving his predecessor Manmohan Singh.The House would now meet on Monday.Also readWinter Session of Parliament begins, Congress seeks PM Modi’s apology over Pakistan remarkAs soon as the House assembled, newly-elected Congress member from Gurdaspur Sunil Kumar Jakhar was administered the oath, which he took in Punjabi.Prime Minister Narendra Modi greeted Jakhar with a handshake when the former greeted him with folded hands after taking oath.Also readManmohan Singh meets Venkaiah Naidu on eve of Parliament sessionThe Gurdaspur bypoll was necessitated following the demise of BJP member and cine star Vinod Khanna.After the oath of the new member, Modi introduced new ministers to the House. These included Dharmendra Pradhan, Piyush Goyal and Nirmala Sitharaman who were elevated as Cabinet ministers in the September 3 rejig of the council of ministers.The new faces are ministers of state (independent charge) R K Singh, Hardeep Puri, K J Alphonse and ministers of state Shiv Pratap Shukla, Virendra Kumar, Ananth Hegde, Gajendra Shekhawat and Satyapal Singh.Making obituary references, Speaker Sumitra Mahajan informed members that three sitting Lok Sabha MPs — Sultan Ahmed (TMC), Chand Nath (BJP) and Tasleem Uddin (RJD) had passed away recently.Seven other former members — Vikram Mahajan, Ram Singh, R Keishing, P C Barman, Dhanraj Singh, Amal Datta and Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi also died during the inter-session period.The House was also introduced to the new Secretary General, Snehlata Shrivastava, who took over on December 1. A former IAS officer, she is the first woman Secretary General of the Lok Sabha.Before the proceedings began, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj met leaders of various parties.When the Prime Minister entered the House, he greeted the members from the opposition benches with a ‘namaste’ and bowing his head.Rajya Sabha also adjourned for the day as uproar by Cong members continued. Opposition leaders today protested the rejection of their notice in the Rajya Sabha demanding an explanation and apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his “conspiracy with Pakistan” remark involving his predecessor Manmohan Singh.The leaders termed the comment “unfortunate” and told reporters outside the House it was “disappointing” that Rajya Sabha chairman M Venkaiah Naidu did not allow a discussion on the notice.They also objected to the “illegal disqualification” of rebel Janata Dal (United) leaders Sharad Yadav and Ali Anwar Ansari.In place of Yadav and Ansari, Bihar Chief Minister and JD(U) president Nitish Kumar should be disqualified for breaking away from the grand alliance with the Rashtriya Janata Dal and the Congress, they said.”We gave a notice, but the chairman adjourned the House and did not let us raise the issue. We are disappointed. The chairman should have given us permission. This is a national… International issue,” Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad told reporters.At an election rally in Gujarat on Sunday, Modi had suggested that Pakistan was trying to influence the state assembly polls.He had claimed that some Pakistani officials and Manmohan Singh met at Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar’s house over dinner on December 6.Azad said the prime minister should come to the Rajya Sabha and explain his remarks to its members.His party colleague Anand Sharma, Naresh Agarwal of the SP and D Raja of the CPI said the people concerned should be punished if the allegations levelled by Modi were true.”But if it is false, if he levelled such a big allegation to polarise the people in view of the Gujarat polls, then he should apologise not only to the House but also to the people of the country,” Azad said.Raja said it was “not correct” on Modi’s part to cast aspersions on Singh.The CPI national secretary said Modi should have called up his predecessor if he had any information on the “conspiracy” issue.”He should have done it, but the way he raised the issue in an election campaign… It is highly objectionable. It is not good for democracy,” Raja said, asking the government to respect the Opposition.Sharma said it was “undemocratic” that the Opposition’s voice was being “muzzled”.He said the prime minister was “aware” of the notice and could have “used the opportunity to clarify his remarks, express regret and apologise”.”But the prime minister and the dispensation are arrogant and confrontational. And this is most unfortunate. This attitude does not augur well for democracy. It is an ominous development on the first day itself,” Sharma said.

State government will promote 27 police officers on the New Year. There will be three ADG, four IG and 20 DIG. Home department and police authorities have completed their homework and the list could be out on the eve of the New Year.As per information, three IG rank officers will become ADG, four DIG will be promoted to IG and 20 SP rank officials will get promotion to DIG rank. It is being learnt that the government is going to shuffle police force at top level in a big way. Those who are going to be promoted along with those who would get key responsibilities in election year will be part of the transfer list.Among them there are officers who are supposed to get new postings because they have been occupying same post even after promotion. An important change could be in Jaipur commissionerate. Around one dozen SPs in districts are likely to be changed including those promoted from RPS to IPS. Buzz is that the new DGP O P Galhotra is working on creating a new team. Talented officers would be sent to different districts keeping elections in mind.This year Govind Gupta, Sunil Dutt and Amrit Kalash would be promoted from IG to ADG.Three officers, Lata Manoj, Jyoti Gogoi and Umesh Dutta would be promoted from DIG to IG rank. All three are currently posted in the CBI. Since they are out of state their promotion will be on notional or performa basis.20 officers would also be included in the list who will be promoted as DIG from the post of SP. The names are Ravi Dutt Gaur, Gaurav Srivastava, Sharad Kaviraj, S Parimala, Santosh Kumar Tukaram, Omprakash I, KV Vandana, Vikas Kumar, Satyaveer Singh, Deepak Kumar, UN Chanwal, Rajesh Kumar Meena, Sanjay Shotriya, Mahmood Alam Tarik, Surendra Kumar Gupta, Dilip Kumar, Lalit Kumar Maheshwari, Prassan Kumar Khamesra, Laxman Gaur and Bharat Lal Meena.Election on mindGovernment is going to shuffle police force at top level in a big way. Those who are going to be promoted along with those who would get key responsibilities in election year will be part of the transfer list. Among them there are officers who are supposed to get new postings as they have been occupying same post even after promotion.

A minor boy committed suicide in this Bihar district barely a couple of hours after being forcibly married to his elder brother’s widow, a mother of two and 10 years older to him.The bizarre incident took place on Monday night in Ramna Vinobanagar village falling under Paraiya police station area where the 15-year-old boy, who studied in Class 9, hanged himself from the ceiling of his house.”An FIR has been lodged for abetment of suicide and child marriage and the boy’s father Chandreshwar Das and the parents of Ruby Devi – the woman to whom the teenager was forcibly married – Ram Pravesh Das and Mutur Devi have been arrested,” SHO of Paraiya police station Akhilesh Kumar said.He said Ruby was married to the boy’s elder brother Satish Das in 2009 and the couple had a daughter and a son.Satish, who worked as an electrician in a private firm, died of electric shock in 2013.”The employer of Ruby’s deceased husband had given a compensation of Rs 80,000 to Chandreshwar. When Ruby and her parents put pressure on Chandreshwar to give her the money, he transferred Rs 27,000 in her account.However, they insisted that he part with the remaining sum as well and if he was not able to do so he get the widow married to his youngest son,” the SHO said.”Chandreshwar gave in to the demand and the boy was married to his widowed sister-in-law at a temple. The young teenager apparently was traumatised by the experience and he took the drastic step soon afterwards,” the SHO added.Notably, a campaign was launched against child marriage on October 2 by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar who has been highlighting the need to eradicate the social evil during his ongoing state-wide tour.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today sought the opposition’s cooperation for a constructive Winter Session of Parliament which starts tomorrow even as the Congress insisted on an apology from him for attacking his predecessor Manmohan Singh during the Gujarat poll campaign.Speaking at an all-party meeting on the session’s eve, Modi again pitched for simultaneous polls for the Lok Sabha and state assemblies saying that holding elections once in five years will boost development.Briefing reporters on Modi’s remarks, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar said the prime minister appealed to leaders of all political parties to help build a consensus on the matter.Modi has been pushing for simultaneous polls, saying an almost uninterrupted cycle of polls across the country hampers government works due to enforcement of model code of conduct and deployment of officials in elections.”He also sought their cooperation to make the session meaningful and constructive,” Kumar said.Also readGujarat Elections 2017: Congress files anticipatory complaint with EC against PM Modi’s ‘roadshow’Congress leaders raised the issue of Modi’s claim during a speech in Gujarat that Singh colluded with Pakistan to influence the state polls, and said they will raise it in Parliament. “We will raise the issue in Parliament. Either the government prove the claim or the prime minister apologise. Nothing short of an apology will satisfy us,” its leader Anand Sharma said.

A Delhi court on Wednesday convicted former Jharkhand Chief Minister Madhu Koda and ex-coal secretary HC Gupta after they were found guilty of criminal conspiracy and corruption in a coal-block allocation scam case.Special Judge Bharat Parashar convicted the duo along with three others for irregularities in the allocation of Rajhara North coal block in Jharkhand to Kolkata-based private company, Vini Iron and Steel Udyog Ltd (VISUL).Besides the former chief minister and Gupta, others who have been held guilty are former Jharkhand chief secretary AK Basu, Koda’s close aide Vijay Joshi, and the company VISUL under Section 120(B) (criminal conspiracy) of Indian Penal Code and Section 13(1)(d) of Prevention of Corruption Act, which entails maximum punishment of seven years.Arguments on the sentence will be heard on Thursday.Four cases have been so far decided among the 30 cases arising out of the coal block allocation scam unearthed during the previous UPA regime.The court, while announcing the conviction, also acquitted four persons — VISUL’s former director Vaibhav Tulsyan and two public servants Basant Kumar Bhattacharya and Bipin Bihari Singh, and chartered accountant Navin Kumar Tulsyan of all charges.Koda is also an accused along with Gupta in another case pertaining to alleged irregularities in allocation of Amarkonda Murgadangal coal block in Jharkhand.Gupta, who was the coal secretary from December 31, 2005 to November 2008, was earlier awarded a two-year jail term for cheating, criminal conspiracy, and corruption in a different coal scam case.

Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi on Tuesday exhorted the youngsters to “revolt” against their guardians if they insisted on demanding dowry for marriage.The senior BJP leader made the fervent appeal to the youth on the sidelines of an anti-dowry campaign organised by a Hindi newspaper in the state capital here.The Nitish Kumar government in Bihar had launched a statewide campaign against dowry and child marriage on October 2, the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.Modi had hosted the wedding of his son here in a simple way on December 3.Deviating from the tradition, Modi’s son’s wedding was held during the day and without any ornate arrangements, musical bands or feasts. All the guests were requested not to bring gifts and were given a packet, containing four laddoos, each.”Young men should show the courage and tell their elders that they will revolt if dowry is taken for their marriage. Such a bold step will put an end to this social evil, which afflicts the affluent and the poor alike,” Modi said.Delving into history, the deputy chief minister said, “Dowry was unheard of in ancient India. Girls used to choose their life partners through a swayamvar. In the memoirs of Megasthenes, we find no mention of dowry. Apparently, the society subsequently started believing that a good match for a girl could only be found in exchange for money. This has to end.”He also urged the women to play an important role in rooting out the evil practice of dowry.”An important role has to be played by the women too as they are at the receiving end of this. The habit of celebrating the birth of a boy and being unhappy when a girl is born needs to be given up. Girls must be brought up with care and given a good education, so that they become economically self-reliant,” Modi said.”Bihar is the land of Jayaprakash Narayan, who had called for a total revolution in the 1970s. We must strive to realise his dream and strike at the roots of social evils like dowry.This cannot be done only through laws, which have been in place for long. Public awareness is a must to bring about the desired change,” he added.

A 60-year old farmer allegedly committed suicide after getting a notice to pay his pending electricity bill of over Rs 9,000, police said today.The body of the farmer, identified as Dinesh Pandey, was found floating in a well at Abgaon Kala village this morning, Harda’s Superintendent of Police Rajesh Kumar Singh said.The farmer’s son, Sanjay Pandey, said three days back the police served a local court’s notice to his father, asking him to pay his pending electricity bill of Rs 9,111.Dinesh Pandey was under stress after getting the notice and yesterday afternoon he went missing, his son said, adding that the family members and villagers spotted his body floating in the well at the village this morning.Abgaon Kala’s deputy sarpanch Ganesh Ram Jat said the villagers found some clothes near the well. While looking around, they spotted the body in the well and subsequently informed the police.”It is suspected that the farmer committed suicide by jumping into the well. The tehsildar and local police station in-charge were sent to the spot. The body was sent for postmortem,” the SP said.”A detailed investigation is underway. The exact reason behind his alleged extreme step would be known after the inquiry,” he added.

Five elephants, including a pregnant one, were killed in the early hours on Sunday after a train hit a herd of seven tuskers at a tea garden in Sonitpur district, forest officials said.The incident took place at Bamgaon Tea Estate in the Chariduar police station area near Balipara at 1.30 am, they said.The herd was trying to cross railway tracks between the Rangapara and Dhalaibil stations when the Guwahati-Naharlagun Intercity Express hit them, Chief Conservator of Forest (Northern Range) P Shiv Kumar said.Four female elephants, including a pregnant one, and a male jumbo were killed on the spot, he said.The premature unborn calf came out from its mother’s belly due to the massive impact, Kumar said.Also readLet’s secure the future of India’s wild elephantsHe said forest officials were trying to locate the other two elephants, which were part of the herd.The dead elephants were cremated after post-mortem examination, Kumar said.Also read2 elephants electrocuted in Nilgiris districtWild elephants often come out of the nearby Nameri National Park in search of food, he said.In the last couple of days, a herd of around 70 elephants strayed into the area, near the accident site, a forest official said.

The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed a plea challenging anticipatory bail granted to Ryan International school trustees in connection with the murder of seven-year-old student Pradyuman Thakur.The parents of the victim had moved to Supreme Court against Pintos after the Punjab and Haryana High Court granted them anticipatory bail.Ryan Pinto, and his parents, Augustine Pinto and Grace Pinto, had approached the high court on September 16, seeking anticipatory bail in the case.Also readRyan student murder: Conductor Ashok Kumar’s wife says cops thrashed him, hung upside downSushil Tekriwal, Pradyuman’s father Varun Thakur’s lawyer had said that they approached the court as the anticipatory bail would send a wrong message will be sent if anticipatory bail is given,” he added.Class 2 student Pradhuman Thakur was found with his throat slit in the school washroom in Gurugram on September 8.School bus conductor Ashok Kumar was arrested by Haryana police in connection with the crime. However, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which is now probing the matter, gave him a clean chit and held a class 11 student of the school responsible for the murder.Also readRyan student murder: Amid twists and turns, juvenile accused retracts confession

A Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) deployed in Maoist-hit Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh opened fire at his colleagues on Saturday, killing four and injuring another, officials said. Two sub-inspectors (SIs), identified as Vikey Sharma and Megh Singh, were among those killed. The fratricide was reported around 5 PM at a camp of the CRPF’s 168th battalion under Basaguda police station area of the Bijapur, Deputy Inspector General of Police (Dantewada range) Sundarraj P was quoted as saying by PTI in Raipur.According to preliminary information, constable Sanath Kumar allegedly opened fire with his service weapon, an AK 47 rifle, leaving four personnel dead on the spot and another injured, he said.Three of the four CRPF men killed in the fratricide were senior to Kumar. Besides two SIs, Assistant SI Rajveer Singh and constable Sankara Rao were also killed in the firing. Also readGadchiroli: CRPF jawan killed, two others injured in encounter with NaxalsASI Gajanand suffered injuries in the incident, the IPS officer said.The bodies and the injured ASI were evacuated from Basaguda to Bijapur at 6 PM. An MI17 helicopter was sent to airlift the injured and the bodies to Raipur, he added.Also read7 securitymen hurt in IED blast by Naxals along Chhattisgarh-Jharkhand borderOfficials said Kumar was soon overpowered and apprehended by other colleagues who were present in the camp. The jawans reportedly had a brawl before the fatal incident took place, they added.The officials did not elaborate on the reasons why the jawan opened.Also readJharkhand: 4 CRPF personnel injured in land mine attack laid by MaoistsThe CRPF is deployed for anti-Naxal operations in the state. (With PTI inputs)

The 16-year-old minor, who was the prime suspect, on Saturday confessed to killing his mother and sister in their flat in Gaur City-2 Greater Noida.According to police, the boy was apprehended by Gautam Buddha Nagar police from Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh late on Friday night. “The boy who was on the run after committing the murder had called his father on Friday afternoon from an unknown number. The father immediately informed the police after which a team reached the location and found him,” said Luv Kumar, Senior superintendent of police (Gautam Buddha Nagar). Police said the boy did not confess his crime during the call, but kept crying on the phone. The phone number was passed to the police by the father of the minor following which location was traced to Mughal Sarai. A team was sent from Greater Noida by air and brought him to here. During interrogation, the boy revealed that he was often beaten up by his mother and he felt that his parents did not love him and rather loved his sister more.Also readNoida double murder case: Cops detain juvenile from Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh “The boy has confessed to the crime. He told his mother had scolded him on December 4 afternoon for using Sofa to study. Later, the boy was beaten by the mother. His mind was not in his senses and he murdered the mother and sister on December 4 night.”Kumar added.The boy after murdering mother and sister had booked cab and went to Old Delhi from where he took a train towards Jammu. He got down in Ludhiana and travelled to Chandigarh, Shimla, Chandigarh, Ranchi, and Varanasi, said police. Also readGreater Noida double murder | ‘Criminal Game’ inspired boy to murder mother, sister?Police further revealed that the boy used his bat and attacked his mother. He eliminated mother and sister using scissor and pizza cutter to kill them.On Tuesday night, a 42-year-old mother and her 11-year-old daughter were found murdered in their Greater Noida. Their bodies were found in the bedroom of their flat in the 11th avenue of Gaur City-2. The father was out of station for work when the incident took place.According to the CCTV footage accessed by the team of officials probing the case, Anjali and her children were last seen entering the society around 8 pm on the fateful night and the boy was seen leaving the building at around 11:30 with a phone and the bag. The incident came to light when the boy’s father asked his relatives to check on his family as she was not answering his constant calls.

Pakistan has allowed the wife and the mother of former India navy officer, Kulbhushan Jadhav, to meet him on December 25 in a Pakistani jail. Jadhav has been sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court for espionage and terrorism.In a letter sent to the External Affairs Ministry here, Pakistan Foreign Office has suggested that Jadhav’s family can meet him on Christmas. The development has come right when Pakistan was supposed to submit its response to India’s accusation that the country violated the Vienna Convention by denying consular access to Jadhav.The Pak response has to be submitted to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on December 13.External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj confirmed on Friday that Pakistan will grant visa to both the mother and the wife of Jadhav. Earlier on November 10, Pakistan had agreed to allow Jadhav’s wife to meet him. India has been pressing Pakistan to grant a visa to his mother Avantika as well, on humanitarian grounds.”We also raised concerns about the safety and security of Jadhav’s kin in Pakistan,” Swaraj tweeted. The minister further said she has spoken to Jadhav’s mother Avantika about the development.Describing it as a positive development, MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said Pakistan has also permitted an Indian diplomat to accompany Jadhav’s wife and mother during their trip. The diplomat will be present during their meeting in the jail. When queried whether allowing Indian diplomat to accompany Jadhav’s relatives in jail meant granting consular access, Kumar said it was too early to predict the nature of the access.Jadhav had filed an appeal with Pakistani Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa to seek clemency, which is still pending. In October, the Pakistan Army had said it was close to a decision on Jadhav’s mercy petition.According to Pakistan, its security forces arrested Jadhav from the restive Balochistan province on March 3, last year, after he reportedly entered the area from Iran. India, however, maintains that Jadhav was kidnapped from Iran, where he planned to start a business after retiring from the Indian Navy.After India approached ICJ, a 10-member bench on May 18 restrained Pakistan from executing Jadhav till the adjudication of the case. The ICJ had asked Pakistan to submit its response by December 13, before the court could start further proceedings. Pakistan is now expected to inform the ICJ that since it has agreed to provide consular access to the prisoner, India’s plea at the world court be declared infructuous.

As the extradition trial of Vijay Mallya continues in a court in London, the government today said it would take all possible steps to bring him back to the country.”The government of India would take all possible steps to ensure that we do not lag behind in our efforts towards extradition of Vijay Mallya to India,” spokesperson in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Raveesh Kumar said in reply to a question on the issue. The extradition trial of Mallya, wanted in India on charges of Rs 9,000 crore fraud and money laundering, began at a UK court on Monday.The tycoon has been on self-imposed exile in the UK since he left India on March 2, 2016.Asked about the recent arrest of British national Jagtar Singh Johal by Punjab Police in connection with targeted killing cases in the state, the MEA spokesperson said the British High Commission has been given consular access to him. Kumar said Johal has been investigated for “very serious crime” including cases relating to targeted killing of certain individuals in India.Also read’No evidence’ to justify extraditing Mallya to India, defense lawyer tells UK Court”All due process of law are being followed since he is a British national. The British High Commission has been given consular access. We expect the law of the land to take its own course,” Kumar said.Asked about reports that 23 Indians from Tamil Nadu are stuck in Senegal as their employers refused to pay them their salaries, Kumar said the two companies where they were working have agreed to pay their dues following government’s intervention. He said eight workers have already returned to India and others are also coming back.

More than a week after one of their newborn twins was erroneously declared dead by Max Hospital, Shalimar Bagh, the family heaved a sigh of relief on Friday after the Delhi government cancelled the licence of the hospital for medical negligence. The 22-week premature baby had died at a nursing home in Pitampura on Wednesday.The grieving parents of the newborn are now also demanding the immediate arrest of the two doctors who were found involved in the alleged negligence. “We welcome the Delhi government’s decision as we were also demanding the cancellation of the hospital’s licence. But why the two doctors involved in the negligence are not arrested yet, even after being declared guilty by the hospital itself?”, asked Ashish Kumar, the child’s father.“We demand immediate arrest of the two doctors. Also, they should be blacklisted so nobody has to go through a similar situation what we have endured,” he added.Also readMax hospital row: Newborn found alive in plastic bag passes awaySoon after receiving the news of the cancellation, family members, who have been sitting on strike outside the hospital since the last five days, said that they had never imagined that the government would actually cancelled the licence. “It is a historic decision and it will set an example for all those fraudulent doctors and hospitals who have been playing with the lives of innocent people,” said Deepak Kumar, the baby’s uncle.The child’s mother Varsha Bidawat, 21, has still not recovered completely. “It will take a lot of time for her to recover from what she has gone through. She is still feeling very weak both physically and mentally,” Kumar said.Also readDelhi government cancels licence of Max Hospital in Shalimar Bagh for medical negligence Family members said that they will meet Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday. “We will meet Mr Kejriwal to express our gratitude for his decision,” Kumar added. They will also hold a condolence meet in the memory of their child at the India gate on Saturday evening.Last Friday, the hospital had handed over twins it had declared dead to the family in “polythene packets.” One of them turned out to be alive while being taken to the cremation ground.

Twelve years after 11 former parliamentarians were found to be indulged in a scam, a Delhi court put them on trial on Thursday following allegations of graft and criminal conspiracy in connection to the 2005 cash for query scam. Special Judge Kiran Bansal put the 11 former MPs and an individual on trial, which will commence from January 12.The former MPs accused in the case are YG Mahajan, Chhatarpal Singh Lodha, Anna Saheb MK Patil, Chandra Pratap Singh, Pradeep Gandhi, and Suresh Chandel (all BJP); Narender Kumar Kushwaha, Lal Chandra Kol, and Raja Rampal (all BSP); and Manoj Kumar (RJD), and Ram Sewak Singh (Congress).A sting operation against the then MPs was conducted by two journalists which was telecast on a private news channel on December 12, 2005. The sting, which showed them taking cash for raising questions in Parliament, came to be known as the cash-for-query scam.In December 2005, the Lok Sabha had expelled 10 members, while Lodha was removed from the Rajya Sabha. The prosecution had relied upon the CDs/DVDs containing conversations among the accused and others.The court also framed charges against Rampal’s then PA, Ravinder Kumar, special public prosecutor Atul Shrivastava said. The proceedings against one of an accused, Vijay Phogat, have been abated as he has passed away. Phogat was alleged to be a middleman.
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